Beautiful Demise
by TheDancingNinja
Summary: When Bhairavi, a young girl with an unusual gift is obtained by the Akatsuki, her path collides with Sasori forever altering their future. Sasori is torn between setting the caged bird free or following orders and throwing away the key.
1. Prologue

_"Unitsi!-Mother!" _The small raven haired girl sobbed grasping the hem of her mother's buckskin skirt through the bars. Her bottom lip quivered in fear and her eyes were filled with tears.

_"__Aya nasgi nihi unitsi!-_I am not your mother!" The woman shreeked ripping away from the desperate childs grasp. As quickly as she had sold her daughter, she turned her back to her and walked away from her childs' screams.

_"Unitsi." _The young girl whimpered once more. She was suddenly flung to the corner as the cage she was thrust in was lifted up and placed in a wagon. She watched helplessly as she rolled away from all the things and people she loved but never loved back.

No one looked twice her way as the wagon made down the street heading further and further away from her home village. Oh how she would miss the scent of smoke as it curled high into the air and the beat of her native drums playing a pleasant tune to which the children danced.

Even if someone had felt a twinge of guilt for the small girl curled up in the far corner of her cage the Tsalagi were a proud people and would never dream of dropping to their knees and beg for the childs freedom.

So it was that Bhairavi watched in great sorrow as everything she had ever known and loved grew smaller and smaller. She was powerless against it all. So, so, powerless! Bhairavi thought clutching the bars of her prison tightly.

As she was dragged away, something rose up into the sky that day. It wasn't viloent, melovalent hate but something so beautiful it made the world freeze and pause to listen. It wrenched out tears from even the driest and coldest of eyes and made people clutch their chests in agony at the sorrowful voice that rose up to the heavens.

Bhairavi was wrong. She wasn't powerless. She had the power of song.


	2. Chapter 1 Angelick

"Bhairavi?" a small fragile voice asked to Bhairavi's right. Though it was dark Bhairavi knew the little girl was reaching her small hand out through the bars of her cage. Bhairavi stretched as far as she could straining against the chains that bound her and grasped the small girl's outstretched hand squeezing it reassuringly.

"I'm here." Bhairavi whispered wishing she could be closer. She could sense the small girl's fear and desperately wanted to extinguish it. Angelick had only been here two years, Bhairavi on the other hand had been imprisoned and caged for five years of her life. She was like a sister to her, one of the only people that had ever accepted her and she was determined to protect the young girl from harm.

"I'm scared." Angelick whimpered when the sound of heavy footsteps drew closer. Bhairavi was aware of how weak the small girl's grip was. She was losing strength and as the years ticked by, her faith as well.

"It will be alright Angelick, you'll see. I won't let them hurt you." Bhairavi whispered wishing she could send the girl some of her strength.

Suddenly the heavy barred door that secluded the two girls from the rest of the world flung open and the lights were turned on nearly blinding Bhairavi and Angelick with their brightness.

When Bhairavi's eyes had finally adjusted to the light, she found two cruel brown eyes staring deep into her unusual golden ones. A twisted sneer formed on the grizzly man's lips cuasing the long jagged scar that stretched across the bridge of his nose and down his cheek to crinkle.

"Good morning little songbird, are you read to sing?" Letting go of Angelick's small pudgy hands Bhairavi backed away from his leering face and answered back coldly,

"I'll never sing for you." Frowning, the man turned to the two men behind him, a squirly man with a large beak of a nose and tiny rat like eyes and a hulk of a man with sharp teeth and bulging muscles. He nodded towards them and stepped away from the cage leaving Bhairavi in full view of the two men and leaving her to their mercy.

Grinning hugely the man with the large nose stepped forward cracking his knuckles. Bhairavi didn't like the glint in his eye. She knew what was about to happen and scrambled to the back of the cage in her desperate attempt to prolong the time before he reached her.  
>She watched him with cool, calculating eyes as he unlocked her cage door and then the chains around her legs. The moment she was released of the heavy weight he gripped her arm roughly and jerked her away from the cage and onto the cold concrete floor causing her to scrape her elbow upon impact.<p>

Bhairavi jumped to her feet to glare at the squirly man when she felt a searing pain in her lower abdomen as the man with the bulging muscles punched her in the gut. Biting her lip she refused to cry out or fall to the floor. Instead she conjured up a pleasant memory. Something that would take her soul and heart away from that terrible place.

_"My name's Angelick, whats yours?" A little girl with curly blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes asked trying her best not to cry and show her weakness on her first day enslaved. Bhairavi knew that it would be best to ignore her and ruin all chances of growing close but seeing the way the small girl's plump lip began to quiver and how her large innocent eyes filled with tears Bhairavi decided that little Angelick needed her._

_"My name's Bhairavi. Theres no need to be so frightened Angelick, its not so bad here, you'll see." Bhairavi knew it was bad to lie but all she wanted was for the little girl to smile._

_"Promise?" Angelick whimpered holding out her pinky between the bars for Bhairavi to grasp,_

_"Promise." Behairavi whispered wrapping her long slender pinky around Angelicks pudgy one._

A crushing blow landed itself on Bhairavi's jaw causing her to stagger back. She tasted the metalic taste of blood and used a shaky hand to wipe away a few drops that strayed down her chin.

"Wouldn't it be so much easier if you just sang?" asked the leader picking at his teeth lazily.

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength." Bhairavi whispered cringing as the man with the large nose clamped down hard on her arm. The man with the bulging muscles looked to the leader for confirmation letting a grin grace his lips when he nodded his consent.

Again and again punches rained down on her unprotected abdomen but still, Bhairavi did not cry out or wail. Angelick did though. She sobbed and screamed Bhairavi's name over and over again.

_"Have you ever caught fire flies Bhairavi?" Angelick asked breaking the silence that had settled over them for the past two days._

_"We call them a-tsi-la ga-lv-ka-we-ti-yu tsi-go-ya which means sacred bug. Theres an old story about fire flies in my village. It is said that a long time ago winter had been harsh and the spring was short. The Cherokee people were anticipating an unusually hot summer, rifled with violent storms and "twisters." They were, of course, correct!_

_The days were unusually arid and the sun was unrelenting. Every day, the children of the village would go to the creek and jump in to find cool, wet relief._

_One day, a group of them were headed to the creek and one of the youngest children in the village begged to be allowed to go with them. The little girl, who was just four years old, begged and pleaded until her mother finally relented after making her son promise to watch over his tiny sister.  
>The children had fun playing in the water and chasing the animals around the meadow. Before they knew it, however, a storm sprung up around them. Black clouds rolled in quickly and thunder echoed through the sky.<em>

_The young brave rounded up his friends to prepare to lead them back to the village. However, he discovered that he could not find his little sister. He called for her and searched all around the creek and meadow. The other children helped as well but, alas, she was no where to be found._

_When the rain began pouring in sheets, and the skies continued to darken, the brave rounded up the children and hurried them home. Then he ran to tell his parents what had happened._

_His father and uncle joined with him to search, but the daylight was long gone, replaced by nothing but pitch-black clouds. The men lit torches for the search but because the wind and the rain was so violent, they could not keep them lit for longer than a few moments. Before long, they refused to light at all._

_Calling out his daughter's name and hearing nothing in return, the young father did the only thing he felt he could do; he knelt in prayer asking the Great Spirit to help him in his quest to find his little girl._

_Suddenly, just inches in front of him appeared a swarm of fireflies. They seemed to hover there as if they were trying to catch his attention. Then, suddenly they began to move forward very slowly._

_Without thinking, the brave, his father and uncle sensed - - as one - - that they should follow the brightly lit bugs. So they did._

_It wasn't long before the young brave recognized the trees that marked the entrance to the meadow where the creek was. "They are leading us to the creek," he cried in excitement. "They are lighting the way for us."_

_Sure enough, the group of bugs continued on the path to the creek, pausing briefly at its edge as if to make certain that those following understood. Once that was confirmed, they took an abrupt turn to the left and headed through the meadow._

_The group continued to follow without question, through the meadow to the other side and a patch of overgrown trees. Then, they once again stopped. In between claps of thunder, the young brave thought he heard soft crying._

_"Do you hear that?" he asked of his father. Everyone stopped and listened. Sure enough, soft sobs could be heard close by._

_Slowly the fireflies moved forward and then swarmed in one spot forming a stunning ball of light that cut through the blackness of the storm. "She's there!" cried the young brave, as he ran forward calling his sister's name._

_Sure enough, just below where the fireflies hovered was his little sister; her foot caught in between small saplings. "I couldn't get free," she cried. "I thought you would find me, so I just sat down and waited. But I fell asleep and didn't wake up until it was already dark and the storm had begun."_

_Her father now by her side, worked to free his tiny daughter from her would be prison. All the while the fireflies remained above their heads, lighting up the skies just enough for them to see. Then, as they had done before, they led the group back the way they came; safely depositing them in their village._

_As the group turned to thank the fireflies for their help, they were amazed to watch them grow brighter and brighter and larger and larger; floating high until they settled in the now clearing skies. There they stopped and became stars of the night._

_From that point forward, fireflies were highly honored by the Cherokee people. After all, who knew if they were fireflies at all; or something much more? My answer to your question Angelick is no, I have never hunted or caught fireflies. My people view it as a sin to imprison something, especially something as sacred as a firefly."_

_Angelick stayed silent and Bhairavi knew she was in deep thought._

_"Do you think fireflies will come to our rescue? we're like that little girl who couldn't get free, do you think they'll light the way for someone to come save us?" She suddenly asked making Bhairavi's heart weigh down in sadness._

_"yes." she said softly, "I believe the great spirit will send help."_

"Sing!" The leader suddenly snarled enraged by her stubborness.

"I'd rather die." She spat wiping the blood from her mouth.

"NO!" Angelick screamed her sobs becoming noticably louder. "You can't take her away from me! Just sing for them Bhairavi!"

At the sound of the distressed girls desperate cries Bhairavi cracked her the strongest smile she could muster which wasn't very strong.

"Be quiet!" The leader snarled shoving her cage causing it to topple over. Angelick cried out in pain as the cage flipped over.

"Dont you hurt her!" Bhairavi screetched suddenly losing her calm. Her sudden strong hate didn't go unnoticed by the leader. He smirked as a sick plan suddenly formed in his head. He knew how to get Bhairavi to sing for him.

Unlocking Angelick's cage he pulled her out by her arm and threw her to the floor. Before she could jump to her feet he placed a heavy boot on her abdomen holding her down. A satisfied glint suddenly showed in his eyes as he gazed on at the defiant Bhairavi.

"If you refuse to sing songbird then I refuse to let this little girl go unharmed." A sick feeling weighed down in Bhairavi's stomach at the thought of him hurting her. Before she could make a decision however, the leader put pressure on Angelicks stomach and she screamed in pain.

Instinctivly Bhairavi raised her voice but not in song. It was in pure wrenching agony screaming along with little Angelick.

"SING!" he bellowed adding more weight to the foot pinning Angelick down.

"STOP IT!" Bhairavi wailed wishing she was not being held down so that she could help end Angelicks suffering. A snap was heard as he crushed one of Angelick's ribs and Bhairavi felt the pain of the blow as if it were her own.

Angelick wailed in pure agony and screamed louder than ever as he added more force.  
>Bhairavi would do anything for Angelick, she realized that now, she would even give up her pride if it meant ending Angelick's suffering. Reaching for her deepest emotion which just so happened to be pain and desperation Bhairavi lifted her voice to the heavens letting it soar. It was laced with agony and pain as with all her songs. It was the most beautiful sound they had ever heard.<p>

Her eyes closed, her heart swelling with joy of the freedom her songs always brought her even if they were pain filled, Bhairavi sang with the sole purpose of saving Angelick. Somehow, that made it all the more beautiful.

When the gruff men threw Bhairavi back into her cage, they also threw the broken form of Angelick in with her much to Bhairavi's surprise. Bhairavi craddled the young girl's unconcious form in her arms and let her tears drip onto her face.

"I'm so sorry Angelick." she whispered stroking the girls long golden locks. Angelick twitched and her face twisted in pain. Bhairavi wanted that pained look to go away. So she picked a sweet soft lullaby she had heard a woman sing to her baby a long time ago, and began to softly sing it to Angelick. Instantly Angelick's face relaxed. Bhairavi sang the lullaby as she rocked Angelick back and forth and slowly, Bhairavi's eyes slid closed. The next time they opened they would be emotionless and she would be holding a corpse.

Angelick finally got her wish. The great spirit had granted her freedom and led her to a place where there would be no pain. When Bhairavi awoke, she would beg the great spirit to take her too.


	3. Chapter 2 The Deal

It had been two weeks since Angelick died and no matter how much the man with the scar beat Bhairavi she would not open her mouth to so much as say a word. She was dead inside, her once bright eyes were now dull and lifeless. Her only light in this world was gone, never to come back.

"Whats wrong with her?" asked the squirly man Bhairavi found to be named Ruffus.

"I dont know, ever since that little brat died she hasn't spoken a word." huffed James.

With a shake of his head he slid a trey under the bars full of food for Bhairavi to eat. She looked past them as if they weren't there. Her mind had long gone somewhere else.

When the two men left Bhairavi, she only glanced at her food before pushing it away. She hadn't eaten for three days and she still seemed to have no appetite. Her spirit seemed to have been broken.

Turning her back to the door she wrapped her arms around her legs and slowly rocked back and forth trying her best to imagine Angelick there with her. No that was wrong, Angelick was better where she was, she was no longer in pain.

Bhairavi was so numb inside that she didn't notice or hear the rukus outside her prison. She didn't sense the danger in the air or notice the screams of pain filling the outside world. All she could do was rock. Back and forth. Back and forth.

When all had quieted down she found herself humming in the new found silence. It was a tune she didn't reconize. It was something she couldn't get out of her head. Finally she began to form words with it releasing her beautiful voice and filling the unnerving silence that had settled around her.

_"Right now I feel like a bird_

_caged without a key_

_everyone comes to stare at me_

_so much joy and rivarly_

_they dont know how I feel inside_

_through my smile I cry_

_they don't know what their doin' to me_

_keeping me from flyin'_

_thats why I say that_

_I know why the caged bird sings_

_only joy comes from song_

_she's so rare and beautiful to others_

_why not just set her free_

_so she can_

_fly, fly, fly_

_spreading her wings and her song_

_let her_

_fly, fly, fly_

_for the whole world to see"_

when the song ended she momentarily paused her rocking as if she finally remembered where she was. slowly, she began to rock again, she liked the song she decided, it sounded so familiar. She vaguely wondered who it was about. She sang it again hoping it would help her solve what she knew she had somehow forgotten.

"We have what we need Hidan let's go." Kakazu said irritably as Hidan stretched out on the floor in one of his aggrivating rituals.

"You have no respect for my rituals do you! I should sacrifice you to Jashin for that!" Hidan spat angrily, but upon seeing the murderous look Kakazu directed him he grumbled and got up.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Hidan suddenly asked as the two criminals turned to leave. Kakazu only turned to look distastefully at Hidan but then he heard it too. It almost sounded like...singing.

The two akatsuki members slowly and cautiously made their way towards the sound. Once they were close enough to make out the words both paused in absolute wonder. Neither had ever heard a sound so wonderfully beautiful or full of pain.

_"I know why the caged bird sings_

_only joy comes from song..._

Desperate to see what was making the noise Hidan recklessly threw the door open letting the light flood in. Cages lined the walls and directly in front of him sat a girl with long black hair and her back to him.

She stopped singing the moment the two entered and she didn't even turn to look at them. Only sat there, rocking back and forth.

"I won't sing for you." she whispered her voice sounding dull and lifeless.

"Hn, we didn't ask you to you filthy girl." Hidan said cockily. He wanted her to sing again though, to hear that angelic voice that even his god Jashin would love to hear.

"I won't sing for you." she said again like a broken record.

"It's okay Angelick, they won't hurt you." murmered Bhairavi.

Hidan looked at Kakazu in confusion. Who was this girl talking about. There was not a single other person in the room.

"Look at me." Kakazu suddenly asked wondering what the girl looked like.

"I wont sing for you." she said again but slowly turned around non the less. There was no doubt that the two men before her were evil. They leaked it from their red and black cloaks and their cruel cold eyes bore into Bhairavi. She felt a cold shiver shock up her spine which was a strange sensation after being numb for so long.

One man had slicked back silver hair and crimson eyes with a coy smirk plastered on his face and a deadly looking three pronged scythe strapped to his back. The other had the strangest looking eyes Bhairavi had ever seen, stranger so then her own. They were a sea foam green but the sclera was red. He had a mask covering half his face and Bhairavi found it hard to read what he was thinking. She briefly wondered what the headbands with the metal plates and strange symbols on them meant.

"My, what strange eyes." Hidan mumured leaning close to Bhairavi.

"_nasgi asegi nihi ukadv.-_Not as strange as your face." Bhairavi whispered.

"What? what did you just say? Mind saying it in English please?" Hidan grumbled grabbing the bars of Bhairavi's cage.

"Hidan, let's go, her eyes are lifeless anyway. she's of no use to us." Kakazu said turning his back to the beautiful girl.

"Whatever they did they broke her." Kakazu said over his shoulder.

Hidan huffed at Bhairavi before turning to follow Kakazu.

"I said," Bhairavi said barely above a whisper, "not as strange as your face." Both men stopped in their tracks turning to stare at her in disbelief.

"I'll sacrifice you to lord Jashin you little bitch." Hidan hissed suddenly in her face again. How he moved so fast was beyond Bhairavi.

"how can you sacrifice something that's already dead." Bhairavi whispered. Hidan stepped back and looked thoughtfully at Kakazu before returning his cold stare at Bhairavi.

"I think we can use you little bitch. The base could definately use a new form of entertainment."

"I'd rather rot." Bhairavi said turning her back to both of them and resuming her rocking.

"Fine, stay in there and rot then!" Hidan growled kicking the cage away for good measure. As Hidan stormed out the door infuriated by the girl with the lifeless eyes, Kakazu only stood there staring in deep thought at the girl's back. She would surely fetch a fair price if not for her voice then for her beauty. Yes, he would take her to Pein-sama and ask him if he would like the girl. If he didn't well then Kakazu had no problem selling her to someone willing to pay a fair price.

Bhairavi didn't have time to process what happened next. In a matter of seconds the bars of her cage were being torn open and her chain snapped. A sharp pain exploded at the back of her head and she slumped forward, unconcious at last.

Kakazu slung her over his shoulder and went to greet his impatient troublesome partner.

"No way! There's no way we're taking her with us! She said so herself, she'd rather rot so let's let her! I'd be glad to come back in a few weeks and visit her remains!" Hidan shouted his hand automatically flying to his scythe.

Kakazu's cold gaze swung to Hidan in a deadly glower daring him to say another word.

"If you dont stop annoying me, I promise you I will kill you." Kakazu said stepping in front of Hidan and calmly making his way towards the Akatsuki base.

Hidan merely grumbled incoherent insults to Kakazu's back as the two criminals journeyed through the forest. It wasn't but two hours later when Bhairavi's eyelids slowly began to flutter open.

"I told you, I'd much rather rot." She said but did not struggle. She knew it would be futile.

"Yeah and I'd be happy to let you!" snarled Hidan once again reaching for his three pronged scythe.

"Hidan." Kakazu warned shooting his partner an evil glare. A wind suddenly rustled the leaves of the trees overhead and reminded Bhairavi that they were outside. She hadn't stepped outside in five years. She was nearly overwhelmed by the brilliant colors, sights, and sounds. She was assualted by the smell of fresh greenery and the wonderful sounds of chirping birds.

A light she thought she had lost suddenly resurfaced in her eyes as she gazed about at all the beauty surrounding her. That is until Hidan stepped infront of her glowering down at her.

"Ah, so your not entirely dead inside like you claim to be. This means theres still hope in sacrificing you to lord Jashin."

"If you love your stupid lord Jashin so much, why dont you just sacrifice yourself and join him?" Bhairavi challanged but it wasn't an easy task to look intimidating when you were slung over a man's shoulder like a sack of potatos.

Hidan's eye noticably twitched and his fingers curled as if they were wrapping themselves around an imaginary neck.

"You're a cocky little bitch aren't ya?" Hidan said trying to calm himself down.

"And you're an arrogant dumbass." Bhairavi countered.

"Funny, all this coming from a pathetic idiot girl we found rocking back and forth like a baby in a cage all alone in the dark." Hidan growled really starting to get worked up.

"Enough. Both of you, just shut up." Kakazu muttered darkly sending off a deadly feeling into the air and causing the two bickering people to fall into a cold silence.

The sudden silence allowed curiosity to finally sink in for Bhairavi making her open her mouth to voice a question that had been nagging at her brain.

"Who are you two and what do you want with me?"

"I figured you would have done figured that out by now, I guess you aren't the brightest crayon in the box huh?" Hidan taunted not wasting a chance at getting a jibe in at Bhairavi.

"We're part of the Akatsuki. As for what we want you for, I just figured Pein-sama might have a use for you. If not, theres always someone willing to pay a hefty price for a little songbird." Kakazu answered before Bhairavi could get a chance to insult Hidan again.

The thought of being sold again and forced to sing for someone infuriated Bhairavi and caused great waves of anger to surge through her being but she forced it aside and decided to deal with it later, instead she asked the two menacing men a second question,

"What's the Akatsuki?"

"You've got to be kidding me." Murmered Hidan catching her half hearted glare.

"Its a group of S-ranked criminals. We're rougue ninja banished from our villages or just plain deserters." Kakazu once again explained.

The word ninja caught Bhairavi's attention. She had heard stories of such beings in her village when she was a little girl but she never once believed she would get to meet one. They were like the warriors of their villages, taking orders from the village leader, or Hokage, and fighting to protect their village. They lived dangerous lives and wielded incredible amounts of power and strength. She also heard that not all of them was good. It was just her luck that she got to meet one of the bad ones.

"Ninjas?" she whispered in wonder. "Tell me...about these ninjas." she said with a tid bit of excitement lacing her voice.

"You dont know what shinobi are? Man, you just get stupider and stupider." Hidan grumbled souring Bhairavi's mood once more.

"You're in no postion to be demanding us tell you stories." Kakazu muttered darkly reminding her of her place. Bhairavi knew she should let the matter drop but her curiousity was killing her! She needed to know more about the world she was being drug off to!

"I'll do anything! just tell me about the ninja's and their ways, I'll even sing for you!" Bhairavi exclaimed barely concealing her excitement.

Kakazu wanted to shoot down her hopes again and tell her no but the idea of her singing for them willingly was appealing. It wasn't Kakazu that agreed however, it was Hidan.

"Well, now that changes things! I'll exchange all the information I know on ninja's in return for a song."

"Done!" shouted Bhairavi. Both men were surprised to discover how much life had returned to those large golden orbs when she said,

"You can begin telling me all that you know."

"Hold up just a minute girl, I can't exactly trust you to keep your word and sing when Im finished, i mean your a little savage after all." Hidan sneered wrinkling his nose at her olive skin as if it read 'can't trust me' all over it.

"And I can't trust you to keep _your _word, I mean after all, your a filthy criminal." Bhairavi said clenching her jaw in anger. She hated immediately being labled and judged.

"Fine, I'll give you half of what I know, then you sing a song and then I'll give you the other half. deal?"

"Deal." Bhairavi said.

"Let's see, people train to be ninja's the moment they can walk and even go to a special academy to learn the proper techniques to become one. There are endless amounts of things a ninja is able to do thanks to a special force within them called chakra. Its like their life force. They can concentrate it to certain parts of their bodies like their feet for example to make them move faster, or their hands to make them punch harder." Hidan said.

"Can you show me?" Bhairavi asked. Hidan may highly dislike the girl but he had a hard time forcing away his superior arrogance so it was he demonstrated a ninja's power to the awe struck girl.

"Watch when I punch this tree without using chakra." He said swinging back his arm and thrusting it forward letting it crash into the hard bark of the ginko tree. A barely audiable dent appeared in the trees bark making Bhairavi raise an eyebrow.

"Now observe when I punch it using chakra." With that Hidan swung his arm forward, his hand encased in a strange blue aura and slammed it into the tree's trunk. An earsplitting crack could be heard as his fist completely snapped the tree in half and sent it soaring through the air.

"Wow." Bhairavi breathed. A triumphant smirk appeared on Hidan's face as he ran to catch up to the still walking Kakazu.

"Now about that song." Hidan said. Bhairavi squirmed nervously not liking her position in the least.

"Um...can I please stand up for this, I can't really sing in this postion." she mumbled.

Under normal circumstances Kakazu would have said no and continued walking but this wasn't a normal circumstance. He wanted to hear the girl sing and so against his better judgement he set the girl down allowing her to stand and stretch her muscles.

She smiled a bit sheepishly at the two men staring at her expectantly. Fidgeting around she finally asked,

"Any um...er requests?" She wasn't used to people looking forward to her singing, in fact people in her village shunned her for it and she never did it willingly for the men who she was sold to.

"Just sing whatever you want girl, hurry up im getting impatient." Hidan grumbled his usual glower crossing over his features once more.

Wasting no time Bhairavi launched into the first song that entered her head opening her mouth and letting her voice soar.

It was a sad song, sung in her native tongue, and even though they knew not a word she was saying they could feel in their hearts the pain and misery behind it. Even Kakazu who wasn't impressed by anything, stared in amazment at the girl before him, belting out beautiful notes that came very close to making him actually feel. That was dangerous, Kakazu never felt anything and if a mere song sung by this child could cause him to do so, then she was a threat to him. her voice was unnatural, it was inhuman. Yes, Kakazu was sure there was something more to this girl that they were missing.

Hidan closed his eyes and allowed the music to carry him away to a far away place. He relished the sound even if it caused a strange aching in his chest. He had never felt sorrow or sympathy. Even the birds grew silent and the wind stopped blowing as if they too listened to her song.

Slowly, Bhairavi opened her eyes when she finished the song and it was as if the world unfroze. The birds chirped once more and the wind rustled the leaves. A full minute passed before Kakazu and Hidan recovered and snapped out of it as well.

"Where...where did you learn to sing like that girl?" Hidan asked breaking the silence.

Bhairavi shrugged her shoulders and simply replied, "I've always known how." She then looked at him expectantly. "The rest of the info on the ninja's please." A little angrily Hidan realized he was starting to warm up to the girl. What was it with her? He even thought he saw a small glimmer emotion in Kakazu's eyes as well confirming that it wasn't only him that felt that way. What an interesting individual he thought to himself. She could make a magnificent spy with a gift like that. After singing just one of her songs she could have a whole crowd of people lined up to give her information. 

"Well, lets see, they use special weapons called kunia," to demonstrate he whiped out a sharp scary looking dagger with a long handle wrapped in white cloth.

"Shuriken," this time he pulled out a strange metal object shaped like a star with four pointed edges.

"and other weapons like katanas and scythes. Whatever floats their boat really. Ninja's have the ability to use a techinque which allows us to use jutsus. there are so many different jutsus, its impossible to describe them to you. You'll just have to observe us as we go. It will come to you I promise."

"Let's go." Kakazu mumbled anxious to be moving again. He moved to grab Bhairavi up again over his shoulder but she shook her head stubbornly.

"I'd like to walk if thats alright with you. I know where we're going isn't good and im a captive and future slave but something keeps telling me there's a reason for this. That I need to go with you. I have a purpose here and until I discover what that is you can trust that I wont try running." Bhairavi explained as best as she could. It was true, she felt that there was something pulling her towards the direction they were going and urging her to follow the two men.

To the two criminals, the girl had clearly lost her mind and gone insane, but to Bhairavi, she was certain she was making the right decision, besides, things would go much easier if she cooperated. Maybe she could even earn their trust and that could definately come in handy later if she planned on escaping.

Kakazu regarded her cooly and closely before nodding his head and resuming walking. Even if she tried anything, it wouldn't be hard to stop her. They were some of the strongest ninja around and she was a mere weak little girl. He had every bit of confidence that they would make it to the Akatsuki base without incident.

Surprised by their willingness Bhairavi silently followed wondering what she had gotten herself into. They were obviously very confident of their abilities other wise they would never have let her walk on her own. Just how powerful were they?

"What kind of criminals are you?" she found herself asking curiously.

"what kind of question is that?" Hidan scoffed. Ignoring him she continued, "Are you the kind that steals, or kills?" she whispered.

Now she caught Hidan's interest. Turning to look at her over his shoulder he said,

"Now thats an easy one," His smirk only grew wider at Bhairavi's confusion.

"We're the kind that kills."


	4. The Heavens Grief and Bhairavi's Despair

Bhairavi stayed silent the rest of the way. Hidan's comment had struck home finally making Bhairavi realize that she wasn't just walking with two travlers, she was in the presence of two murderers.

Suddenly the two men stopped and Hidan lazily glanced over to his left. Curious as to what the two men saw Bhairavi strained her eyes to catch a glimpse at what they were staring at. Much to her frustration her view was blocked by endless tree foilage which led her to believe that Hidan and Kakuzu weren't seeing anything, they were [i]sensing[/i] something.

Before Bhairavi could blink a kunai knife went sailing throught the trees with a loud distinct cling and if it weren't for the glint it made in the sunlight, Bhairavi would never have seen it. It was Hidan who had sent the knife flying and it was Hidan who smirked in contempt as a man fell with a loud clunk as he made contact with the forest floor.

Lazily Hidan took a step closer and curious to see who the man was Bhairavi did the same. He didn't look like anything special, his hair was matted with grease and dirt and his grey eyes cloaded over with fear at the approaching man. His hand clutched at the kunai which was embedded in his arm and Bhairavi could see the blood spilling out between his fingers and staining his blue cotton shirt. She didn't see a headband on him so she figured he must not have been a ninja. That made him no threat right? so why had Hidan thrown that kunai?

"P-please I-I-I'm just p-passing t-through." the man whimpered trying to propel himself farther away from Hidan. All doubts that this man was a threat was erased, he didn't look anything but terrified. Bhairavi had a gift for telling whether or not someone was lying and she saw nothing but honesty in the mans wide fearful eyes. She was confident Hidan would not slay this man, he had no reason to.

Bhairavi believed that there was good in everyone no matter what the deeds they had done and the crimes they had committed. There was [i]always[/i] at least something good in them. But she miscalculated. She forgot that Hidan wasn't just any criminal, he was a murderer and while he didn't [i]have[/i] a reason to kill the man before them, he didn't [i]need[/i] one.

With deliberately slow and calculated movements Hidan produced another kunai knife and looked at it as if inspecting it for dirt. Bhairavi suddenly knew what he was doing, he was allowing as much terror as possible to sink in the man's heart before he plunged the knife into it, and thats just what Hidan did. In one swift movement he sent the kunai knife flying, and never once losing that satisfied smirk or letting it falter, he watched in contempt as it slammed into its target forever stopping its furious beating.

For Bhairavi, time seemed to stop. She watched with innocent eyes opened wide as the man slumped forward unmoving. A fast furious humming echoed in her head slowly growing louder and louder until finally she could take it no more, she opened her mouth and screamed. Not so much a scream but a wailing sound. She hadn't known the man but it was as if something in her heart had known him. It ached and clenched painfully and it felt like something inside of her was breaking and shattering into a million pieces.

She wailed again and again placing the palms of her hands against her ears to stop that awful noise she was hearing. voices in the wind seemed to whisper to her, incoherant things but she wanted them to stop. They made her hurt more. Unnoticed by the tormented girl, the flowers and grass beneath her feet withered and died turning brown and crisp and then crumbling away to swirl with the wind that whispered secrets to her. Secrets she should not have known.

She didn't know it but she wasn't just wailing and screaming sounds, she was forming words.

"Grace!"

"Keep her safe!"

"My Grace is five!"

"Dont let her mother take her."

Hidan and Kakuzu had never seen anything like it. Hidan knew when he killed the man that she would have a strong reaction, maybe even cry but never [i]this[/i] she was going insane! Kakuzu knew she needed to be stopped, the forest around her was growing brown and dying as if they too wept for the girl's despair. Not wasting any more time Kakuzu appeared behind Bhairavi and with one quick movement, he slammed his palm into the back of her neck causing her to slump forward and finally become silent.

As he hefted her over his shoulder and began moving again, a few drops of water struck his face causing him to look up in surprise. Rain cloads that hadn't been there before were now every where overhead swollen with water and threatening to dump its contents out on the two criminals and the unconcious girl.

Picking up the pace, Kakuzu and Hidan began walking once more but they didn't escape the sky's grief as it poured down the bitter tears of the heavens upon their heads. The cascading water seemed to calm the troubled girl who even unconcious was mentally grieving the loss of the man's life. She stopped her twitching and the water smoothed away her despair. If anything, it was like it was sharing the burden of her grief.

Never before had the two criminals who had murdered countless times and caused people to witness such horrid events seen such a strong reaction to a murder. while Kakuzu seemed calm and collected about the whole fiasco, Hidan however was unnerved. He was immortal yet somehow he found himself fearing the girl a tiny bit as ridiculous as that may seem. That fear would soon bloom into a deep hatred.

Unlike Kakuzu who had watched from a distance and listened to the girl wail what seemed to be nonesense, Hidan had heard one word escape the dying mans lips just before he slumped forward and just after Bhairavi stopped listening. That word was 'Grace.'

When Bhairavi opened her eyes she was still slung over Kakuzu's shoulder but they were no longer in the forest. They were making their way down a long dark corridor lit by a few torches casting menacing shadows. The air was cold and dank and Bhairavi shivered but not from the cold, there was a dark and menacing aura about the place that sent waves of fear crawling up her spine and paralizing her with terror. The evil that seemed to be soaked into the stone surrounding them appeared to affect Hidan and Kakuzu as well seemingly making them colder and more hatefilled. Kakuzu's hold on her seemed tighter and Hidan's angry glare on her heavier. Her world seemed to have grown darker.

She momentarily forgot all about the man who had met a cruel fate in the forest for she had bigger problems of her own. She wished she had been awake to see the sunlight one last time for she had a feeling she would never see it again. Not in this god forsaken place, and thats how it felt, as if God himself had deserted it. It was the devil's playground, and Bhairavi just happened to be the toy everyone was fighting over at the moment.

"Is that dinner Kakuzu?" came a voice ahead in the corridor. Bhairavi's eyes darted from side to side in search of the owner of the voice but he was no where to be seen. Just when she thought she was hearing things the wall to their right began quiver and to Bhairavi's horror a being materalized out of the wall!

That wasn't the most shocking part though. It was the being itself that caused Bhairavi to stiffen in fear. She wasn't even sure if it was human. The thing wore the same cloak that Hidan and Kakuzu wore but all similarities stopped there. She didn't know which was more frightening and monstrous, the giant venus flytrap sprouting from his neck and towering above his form, or the small head tucked inside holding a mop of green hair. His face was painted half black and half white and on the white half of his face his eye shone a faded gold, and on the black side of his face his eye shone a blinding yellow.

"You can't eat this one Zetsu." Hidan grumbled, "Not yet anyway." He said smirking as if thinking of his own private joke.

Bhairavi seemed to freeze again. Did he say [i]eat?[/i]

"I'll be waiting then." the thing whispered and Bhairavi noted with horror that only half of his face spoke while the other stayed immobile. Just as quickly as he had come the thing named Zetsu materalized back into the wall and disappeared.

To say Bhairavi was scared was an understatement. She was [i]terrified.[/i] Bhairavi was so caught up in her fear that she didn't notice Kakuzu reach the end of the corridor and stop before a large door with intricate designs of murder scenes and demons covering its surface. The knock brought her back to attention though, or really, the cold gruff voice that answered it.

"Come in Kakuzu." The very sound made Bhairavi's skin crawl. She suddenly found herself losing the ability to see and believe the good in everybody. There was no good here. She realized that now, and if there was it would never last.

The door swun open revealing a darkly lit room where even the shadows seemed to be alive and seemed to reach out to the intruders desperately trying to latch onto their cloaks and weasel themselves inside your soal carressing it and trying to taint it with its putrid hate and malice. Bhairavi could only hope the evil in the air wouldn't affect her, not her heart anyway. That would always be hers.

The man hunched over the desk in the corner looked up when Kakuzu roughly through Bhairavi to the ground and Bhairavi found herself gazing into the eyes of the evilest of men. That sinister look in them alone was enough to make Bhairavi believe that the mans heart before her had rotted away and deteriorated into nothing but ash, that is if he ever [i]had[/i] a heart.

His cold orange eyes bore deep into her golden ones and his orange hair gleamed in the candle light near his sleeve. If anyone had asked Bhairavi what she remembered most about the man named Pein she would have answered, 'he had the most piercings I had ever seen!' Sadly, Bhairavi would never get the chance to answer such questions. Her fate had already been drawn the moment her eyes connected with the Akatsuki's leader. Bhairavi could look past all the piercings in his nose, lips, and ears, they didn't cause her to shake in fear. It was those eyes that got to her. Those cold cruel eyes.

"My what unusual eyes you have." Pein murmered leaning forward to catch a better look at them. Bhairavi immediately shrunk away.

[i]"nihi uyoi."[/i] Bhairavi whispered.

"Does she not speak english?" Pein asked directing his attention to Kakuzu.

"I said, you're nothing but evil." Bhairavi interrupted before Kakuzu could say anything. Pein was captivated by this beautiful strange girl. Normaly, he would have killed her for looking into his eyes or speaking to him in such a manner, or he would have killed her just to hear her scream. But this was not a normal circumstance, if [i]Kakuzu[/i] of all people deemed her worthy of his time then she must be specail.

"why have you brought her to me?" He asked Kakuzu choosing to ignore the girl. He wondered how easily he could anger her. It was the ill tempered ones that were easiest to control.

"I thought you'd be interested in her abilities." At this Pein looked once more at the girl who had risen to her feet. She was short and the way she held herself was graceful and elegant, not animalistic like a ninja's. What abilities could she possess that would interest him?

"What can you do?" Pein asked now addressing the girl. She stared back at him with that infuriating innocent look. He hated that look. It was the only thing in the world that frustrated him, innosence.

"I can't do anything." she said.

"You little lying bitch! I-" Hidan was suddenly cut off by Peins piercing glare making him fall silent.

"If you can't do anything, you do realize you're of no use to us. That means we kill you." Pein stated calmly anxiously awaiting the fear to consume her and cause her to quiver in terror. That never happened though and Pein once again became frustrated.

"Then do it. Death will be a far more welcome companion than you." Now he was curious, here she was, holding a trump card that could possibly save her life and she was refusing to show it.

"You better sing you little bitch before I force some sound out of you!" Hidan grumbled taking a step closer. Ah, so that was her talent thought Pein. It wasn't a power, it was merely a talent, one many people had. It wasn't unique and it wasn't useful.

"I have no use for her Kakuzu." Pein said turning his back to the three.

"You can't just give her what she wants! She's been wanting to die ever since we dragged her sorry ass out of that cage and into day light! Besides, I've heard her sing twice, it was unnatural. Theres definately something different about this girl." Hidan said momentarily forgeting his place.

In a whirl of red, black, and orange, Pein grabbed Hidan by the neck and lifted him up high in the air.

"Don't forget your place Hidan." Pein growled. After two minutes of struggling Pein allowed Hidan to drop to the floor.

"Pein-sama, the girl can sing, the most beautiful sound i've ever heard, but she simply refuses too. Trust me when I say she can be of use to us entertainment wise." Kakuzu said to the still fuming Pein. At this Pein visibly calmed down. He was really curious now about Bhairavi's alleged gift. Curious enough to let her live.

"Good, then this wasn't a complete waste of my time. Take her to a secluded room. I've never met anyone who could withstand Itachi's kekkei genkai without caving-or dying that is."

Bhairavi didn't know it, but she was about to witness exactly what the Akatsuki were capable of. They in return would discover the true strength of the world hidden behind two brillant, unusual golden eyes.


	5. Chapter 4 Sasori

Bhairavi hated her room. Even though the room included a bed, dresser and even a bathroom, it felt as if the walls were closing in and all the light had been effectively shut out. The dark and drab appearance crushed down on Bhairavi and weighted down her soul like a new form of heavy chains. While it seemed she had earned a little amount of freedom, a new sense of imprisonment crashed down upon her with merciless force.

"Sit." Pein commanded nearly making Bhairavi flinch. Not wanting to upset her captors more than they already were Bhairavi did as she was told and took her seat on the neatly made bed shifting around uncomfortably.

Pein's eyes seemed to pierce Bhairavi's soul and its force alone forced her to be still. "Itachi, you may enter." He commanded just before the knock was heard. Slowly the door creaked open allowing a man in is twenties to step in. His long black hair was swept back into a fasionable pony tail and his red and black cloack flowed around him with an air of such confidence and purpose. His skin was pale and his lips were drawn into a tight line as if he never smiled. Exhaustion lines etched his face just beneath his eyes which led Bhairavi to believe that he had been forced to mature faster than he should have. What frightened her most about the man however and held her in place with pure terror and uncertainty was his eyes. They glowed in the dim lighting a vibrant crimson and seemed to gaze unflinchingly into the depths of her soul and unconver all of her most private secrets.

"Leader-sama." Itatchi acknowledged coldly giving a polite slight bow. Pein silently stepped aside letting Itatchi have full view of the girl. When his eyes connected with Bhairavi she forced herself to keep his gaze.

He took a few steps towards her until he was standing directly infront of her. He closed his eyes and she vaguley wondered what he was doing before they snapped open again freezing her in place. In a heartbeat she was in the depths of her worst nightmare come to life losing sight of what was relaity and what wasn't.

Everything was bathed in cruel red light and the objects of her fright were black shadows. Her heart pounded a mile a minute in her chest, partly in confusion but mostly in panic.

"Sing!" a strong cold voice commanded echoing around in her alternate reality. She clamped her hands around her ears and screamed. She suddenly remembered the day Angelick died and how that same cruel voice had commanded her to do exactly what this new voice was telling her to do now.

"Sing." the voice chanted over and over again making Bhairavi sink to her knees in desperation.

"NOOO!" She screamed in a fit of new found rage. Angelick's face crossed her mind making her stiffen once more as the childs ghost fingers traced the tears of blood trailing down Bhairavi's cheeks. Her golden curls gleamed unaffected by the cruel red hues of the alternate reality and her vibrant blue eyes seemed to smile as they gazed into Bhairavi's terrified golden ones.

"Just let it out." She whispered and somehow Bhairavi knew the Angelick she saw was not apart of Itatchi's cruel trick. Suddenly the voice seemed less real, less commanding and the red of the new world seemed less intense, less vibrant. Even when Angelick dissappeared the golden light that basked her seemed to cut a hole in the darkness Bhairavi was drenched in and she saw the world for what it was. She saw what she had to do.

Opening her mouth she seemed to inhale the gold shimmering light left in the dark endless void and bellowed out the first notes of her heart's song. She filled with it the memory of Angelick and the love and passion she had felt for the small child letting it fill her soul. Even if the sound was filled with pain and longing. Even if the sound seemed godly and unreal as well as just plain inhuman, it was her sound. It was her voice filling that awful hole in her heart and repairing the tear of her soul. It was her voice that caused Itatchi to lose his grip on her mind and release her from the alternate reality. No one had ever done that.

In a strange way Bhairavi had not succumbed to the Akatsuki's demands. In her own small way she had defied them and Pein and the others very well knew it. She even stopped singing immediately the moment Itatchi lost his iron grip on her and in response she was aware of four very interested, intense gazes.

She returned each of their looks unflinchingly, well until her eyes locked with Pein's that is. There was such longing in those strange unusual eyes and something else Bhairavi couldn't identify. Whatever the look, it sent warning bells in Bhairavi's mind and caused her to take a step back.

"it appears you have quite the unusual gift don't you?" Pein asked a twisted smile appearing on his pierced face.

"Lock her room and make sure she doesn't go anywhere unsupervised. Her gift is no one elses but mine." He said turning his back to her and exiting the room. Bhairavi felt despair weiging her down as she watched the rest of the members exit the room. Itatchi was the last to leave and as his eyes glanced back at her curiously she found herself saying without thinking, "Alot of people here aren't who they appear to be huh?"

Itatchi paused and then gave her his full attention. "No, they aren't."

"Like you. You aren't evil. I know you aren't. In a way, you and I are both prisoners aren't we? Only I fear your situation is a lot more complictated than mine isn't it? At least I know who my enemies are. I hope...I hope he understands. I hope one day he'll know you aren't evil Itatchi."

Bhairavi nearly misssed the shock that registered on his face before being replaced by an emotionless mask.

"Who do you hope understands?" He asked coldly. Bhairavi blinked in confusion. She suddenly couldn't remember what her last two sentences were. How strange. She did remember how sure of herself she felt though.

"I...I dont remember. What did I say?" She blinked up at him through long lashes and Itatchi frowned.

"Hnn." He then turned to leave deciding to let the conversation drop. He knew he shouldn't be talking to her yet something about her innocence even in the depths of the Akatsuki base intrigued him.

"I'm so unsure. I just hope that im right when I feel that your soul is untainted by the darkness even when imprisoned by it." Behairavi whispered before it was she who turned her back to him and retreated to the hard matress in the corner. She heard the door slowly creak shut and the lock click in place and bit her lip hard as the darkness engulfed her.

Itatchi crept down the corridor deep in thought. It was wrong. He knew it was wrong. Those wild golden eyes haunted him as he stalked down the corridor. She was right though. They both were prisoners. After all prisoners hated their situations didn't they? What better emotion to describe his? Hate, a perfect word. Only the look on the girl's face was not of hatred. He suddenly doubted the girl could ever hate anything. Which led him back to the thought that imprisoning her was wrong. Very wrong.

He thought of his own predicament and how all of his own horrible deeds had been done out of fear and love and suddenly thought that maybe the path he had taken wasn't the right one. Maybe he had doomed the one he cared about most in the world rather than save him. Could he have extinguished that brilliant innocent light in his little brother's eyes simply before another darker more formidable foe had? Suddenly, his decisions seemed so clouded and just plain wrong.

There was only one name rolling around in Itatchi Uchiha's head that day. It was a name he had managed to push aside for a long time thinking it better that way. He knew his brother hated him for obvious reasons but still his name circled in his head as he silently apologized for robbing his brothers childhood from him. Yes, Sasuke might not have known it, but his brother regretted what he did more than anything. The road to hell was indeed paved with good intentions.

Sadly enough, Itatchi never thought of Bhairavi's name. He never cared to ask. No one had. she wasn't human to them. She wasn't a person. It was easier for Itatchi that way. It might have crossed his mind to ask at one point, but he dismissed it immediately, even if he was truely a good person who just had a bad fate dealt to him, he knew that knowing her name would be the final shove he needed to go against his plans and free the girl he knew needed to be freed. At that moment, Bhairavi wasn't a person to him either.

Bhairavi couldn't remember a single happy moment in her life. Even her time with Angelick had been drab and hopeless making her believe there was nothing worth living for. Was misery all that life was? or was it simply all that she was allowed?

Not wanting to spend another moment in the darkness Bhairavi scurried around the room desperately searching for some means of light. Anything to chase away the pressing darkness. In the top drawer of her dresser she discovered a few candle sticks and some matches. Carefully, she lit a candle and cradled the flame as she moved across the room to her bed.

Silently she stared at the dancing flame knowing exactly what it was like to be contained. To be used.

[i]Right now I feel like a bird[/i] Bhairavi began softly letting the words go and suddenly feeling stronger for doing so.

[i]caged without a key.

everyone comes to stare at me

so much joy and rivarly

they don't know how I feel inside

through my smile, I cry

they dont know what their doin' to me

keepin me from flying

thats why I say that

I know why the caged bird sings

only joy comes from song

shes so rare and beautiful to others

why not just set her free

so she can fly, fly, fly

spreading her wings and her song

let her fly, fly, fly

for the whole world to see[/i]

She was so focused on her singing and the comforting little flame on her candle that she didn't notice the door creak open or the curious intruder inch closer. It was only when she stopped that she discovered him.

"Keep singing." The cold voice commanded making her jump and the candle to fall out of her hand and onto the floor. She dived down after it desperate to save the flame that lit the darkness but her attempts were futile and it tumbled to the floor and the flame was extinguished plunging her into darkness. She groped around on her hands and knees until she found the candle stick and gripped it tightly in her hands now staring fearfully in the direction the commanding voice had come from.

"Who are you?" Bhairavi whispered afraid that if she spoke any louder her voice whould shake.

Suddenly a light flared in front of her as another one of her precious candles was lit and she could make out the intruder. Shaggy red hair fell into chocolate brown eyes that held no warmth. His pale complexion made Bhairavi remember her own dark skin and suddenly felt self concious in the presence of the beautiful stranger.

"So your the new toy." He said curiously leaning closer catching sight of her frightened gold eyes.

"No." She whispered, "Im their new prisoner." Ignoring the statement the boy said cooly

"I told you to keep singing." Jutting out her chin in defiance Bhairavi said in a strong clear voice, "I will not sing for you." Even with his commanding arrogant voice and cold eyes Bhairavi for some reason, seemed drawn to the stranger in a way she could not explain. So it was she softened her voice and said before he could interrupt and say something rude, "But if you actually ask me if I'd like to, I might consider it."

Shifting her eyes away Bhairavi took notice of the shadows flickering across the wall and over her dresser. The Akatsuki member seemed stunned for a moment. He had never asked anyone for anything 'nicely' before. What difference did it make anyway? Deciding he'd like to see the girl's reaction he asked as 'nicely' as he possibly could, "would you please sing again girl?"

Her golden eyes locked with his brown ones and she held his steady gaze before saying, "yes. I'll sing because you asked." There was something exhilerating about having the option. About having a choice and that alone made Bhairavi's voice that much more pleasant to listen too.

The Akatsuki member couldn't take his eyes off of her. He'd never heard or seen such beauty in one place before. When she sang, it changed something in him. It might have been his imagination but his heart seemed...warmer somehow. Less frigid around the edges.

"Why do you think evil exists?" Bhairavi suddenly asked breaking the heavy silence that had settled over them when she had stopped singing. The red headed Akatsuki member had no idea how to react. Normally he would be irritated by the nature of the question and more than annoyed at how useless it was. Some reason however, he found himself answering without irritation seeping through his voice.

"I believe that it has no reason. It just is. Just like people." When he looked into Bhairavi's eyes the candle light made her golden orbs seem like they held more depth. He suddenly found that he couldn't look away. Not from the pure innocence that shone brightly within.

"Everything has a reason. I believe everyone and everything has its purpose. Without purpose the world would just be a junkyard and I know that people's hearts aren't junk even if the people here treat it as such." Bhairavi said quietly.

"You're too naive." The Akatsuki member said gruffly sitting back a little to observe her reaction.

"If that's the price you have to pay to have a heart so be it." She said inching a little closer to the dancing candle flame.

"Have...have you ever killed anyone?" Bhairavi asked afraid to know the answer. She had no idea why she was making conversation with one of her captors and he had no idea why he was even talking to her, still he answered her hesitant question, "Yes. I've killed many people. Im apart of the Akatsuki aren't I?" Bhairavi expected as much.

"Do you see them? When you sleep that is? Do you ever regret killing them and stealing their life away from them?" The Akatsuki member had never been asked such a question. No one ever thought too much about it. They always just assumed monsters didn't need a reason to kill or ever regretted doing it but here this imprisoned girl was, actually treating him like a person. Not even judging him even though she had every right too.

"I regret nothing. You can't change the choices you've made. I do see them sometimes though. The first ones I've killed. After the first few it just got easier I supose. Like taking care of pests."

"I dont like to think of them as 'killed' or 'dead'." Bhairavi whispered. "I like to believe that they live on in us so that you're never alone. That we carry a piece of them every where we go." Bhairavi said touching her aching heart and thinking of Angelick. "For as long as they're in my heart, they will never be 'dead'. Thats someone you can never take away from me."

"Then why not trap their soul and keep them with you forever. Wouldn't that be easier?" At this Bhairavi looked deep into his eyes almost mournfully before replying,

"Because that would be selfish. In a world so hate filled and cruel, you'd be denying them their chance at freedom. You'd be keeping something that isn't yours."

The Akatsuki member had no idea how to reply to that so he stayed silent, content with just staring at her across the dancing flame. He watched the candle light reflect off her small soft features and wondered why he never grew impatient or angry at this girl. Such a strange feeling he felt coil in the pit of his stomach when she looked into his eyes.

Deciding he did not like the unidentified feeling rolling around in his gut the red headed stranger stood up and moved towards the door intent on leaving the girl with the innocent golden eyes behind. Even as his hands grasped the door knob and twisted the handle ready to leave behind the girl that made him so nervous, a part of him called out for him to stay. While that part of him did not win, the part asking him the same question over and over again did. What was her name?

"What is your name?" He asked just before he closed the door behind him. Bhairavi didn't know what shocked her more, the fact that he had asked her or the part of him that was treating her like a human being.

"Bhairavi." She whispered. "It means melody." she didn't know why she felt the need to say it but her tongue seemed so lose around this stranger. Like she could say anything she wanted to him. "And yours?" She no longer wanted to refer to him as 'stranger' or 'akatsuki member.'

The door creaked and she almost didn't hear his soft reply as the door clicked shut but she caught it. "Sasori." He had whispered.


	6. Chapter 5 Difference

**I do not own any of the characters from Naruto. The only one in my story I do own is Bhairavi, she is a figment of my immagination completely. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Bhairavi didn't know what to think of Sasori. She knew he was evil just like her other captors yet there was something about the darkness that seemed to coil around Sasori's heart that seemed almost...reversable. Less prominent from the others. There was something about that darkness that drew her to it as if beckoning her to reach out a hand and take a hold of it. She felt a _need_ wrestle it away from Sasori but why she only felt that way in the presence of Sasori and not the other criminals was beyond her. She didn't know what to think of him and that was just as frightning as being held captive by a group of cold hearted murderers.

Glancing down at the small nub her glowing candle had become, Bhairavi realized that being plunged into the darkness was inevitable. Her small ray of comfort would soon disappear. Before the light completely faded however, a knock resided at the door before it slowly crept open. Startled Bhairavi looked up at the intruder wanting nothing more but to shrink back in fear at the being before her.

He flashed her a toothy smile as his strange pale white fish eyes bore into her. For some reason, it wasn't the blue skin or spiked up blue hair that drew her attention, it was the gill slits underneath his eyes. He was the strangest creature she had ever seen, besides the cannibal Zetsu of course. Such strange characters the akatsuki housed she thought.

He carried with him a tray and as the pleasing aroma of food wafted towards her she realized he had brought her food. Deciding the threat of starvation posed more of a threat than this strange fish man Bhairavi scooted closer eagerly, her stomach growling in response.

"So you're the new toy huh?" he said setting the food before her. Bhairavi didn't bother correcting him like she had Sasori. Instead she busied herself with the delicious array of food set before her. It wasn't really the best selection of food, but to Bhairavi, it was the best meal she'd ever eaten.

The fish man watched her in morbid fascination as she shoveled down the strange unappealing concoction Hidan had recently put together in the hopes that it would disdain her. That apparantly wasn't the case. He didn't even know why they were keeping her. What was so special about her?

She finished her meal in a matter of minutes and even licked her fingers for good measure. She apparantly seemed to have enjoyed the meal and he knew Hidan would be angry knowing his hard effort at making it as disgusting as he possibly could had gone to waste. The strange blue akatsuki member smirked at the thought of the irate religious criminal.

Taking up the tray he turned to leave but then she spoke to him. It was a soft musical sound that for some reason made him think of a lazy summer day in a field of flowers. Shaking off that ridiculous thought he turned once more to face her taking a minute to process the absurd question she had just asked. Taking in his astonished face she asked it again.

"How is it you have gills?" No one had ever asked him that. The question was always 'what are you?' or they were just to afraid to ask.

"I was born this way." He said recovering from the shock. Her eyes grew bright with curiosity and if he wasn't mistaken...was that a hint of awe he saw sparkle behind those large golden orbs?

"Really? Can you breathe underwater then?" She asked scooting closer, actually scooting closer to someone considered a monster!

"Well naturally." He said giving her another sharp toothed grin giving her the impression of a hungry shark.

"wow. I always wanted to be able to breathe underwater. It seems so peaceful and quiet there like where here only your voice is heard but there, its only your thoughts." Bhairavi said momentarily forgetting where and who she was.

The blue man paused taking in her small, soft, innocent features and wide unusual golden eyes before asking,

"Why are you here? Whats your skill?" he asked causing her to grow solemn once more. Even he could see in the few moments that he's known her that she'd never hurt anyone let alone be a member of a murderering organization which made him quite interested as to why she was there.

Bhairavi fidgeted a little underneath his heavy gaze before looking away and replying, "Well I sing."

"You're here because you...sing?" He asked dubiously.

"Yes." she whispered. Just as the word escaped her lips, her candle chose at that moment to go out and plunge them both into darkness. The blue akatsuki member was about to say that there was no way Pein-sama would keep her alive simply because she could sing well but then decided against it since she was still alive and didn't appear to be lying. He never was one to say unnecessary things.

Suddenly the door creaked open once more allowling a tiny sliver of light through catching Bhairavi's eye. The dim candle light from the entry way caused her eyes to sparkle.

"Kisame, let's go." A familiar voice called from the other side of the door. Bhairavi reconized it to be Itatchi's. Kisame sighed but turned to leave. Bhairavi didn't know why she said it but the words escaped her mouth without her permission, "Those kids, they didn't really mean what they said. They were just scared. They didn't understand you because you were different. Don't hate them."

Kisame paused. "What did you say?" He asked a little gaurdedly.

"Your heart. There's so much hate and resentment there. You have a beautiful wonderful gift. You'd be so much happier if you embraced it." Bhairavi whispered reaching out for that darkness she saw coiling around Kisame's heart. She had no way of knowing that it was too late for Kisame, it had already wound itself around his soul and mingled with his life essence. There was no going back for Kisame.

The muscles around Kisame's eyes tightened as he regarded the girl. He didn't like that probing he felt that tickled and pulled in his chest. It was as if someone or something was evading his privacy and he didn't like it one bit. He also didn't like how the girl knew so much about him already. He had walled up and sealed away those forgotten emotions long ago. Even he had forgotten why it was his heart twisted in pain and his jaw clenched in anger when he laid eyes on normal looking people. He just assumed what everyone else assumed. That he was a cold hearted murderer who hated people. Short and simple, no hidden childhood emotion lurking in the depths of his soul. So how could years and years of strengthening those walls surrounding his emotions with the akatsuki be suddenly pulled down in a matter of minutes in the presence of one mesely girl?

Kisame simply sneered at her in extreme distaste before exiting the room. Bhairavi was once again plunged into absolute darkness.

Bhairavi waited alone in the darkness for what felt like forever. Would it always be like this she wondered? After five years of being all alone in the dark she had grown used to it. So why did she suddenly feel so lonely?

Without meaning to Bhairavi drifted asleep right there in the middle of the floor. For the first time in a long time she dreamt of something pleasant. She dreamt of Angelick. In it, Angelick whispered to her, over and over again. Bhairavi was too busy watching the light glint off her brilliant blonde curls and her blue eyes glow and sparkle with warmth to really listen to what the child was saying. Not till the end that is. _let it out._ she whispered.

Bhairavi's eyes snapped open and she was immediately greeted by the darkness that enveloped the room in a cloud of misery. Angelick's words echoed in her head as she slowly sat up staring longingly at the tiny crack beneath her door which filtered in a small amount of light. She wanted to be in that light she decided sliding closer to the door. She didn't want to stay in this room and waste away in the darkness either she thought standing up and grabbing that gold hard door knob in her hand prepared to twist it and allow it to open her gateway to freedom. Even as the light chased away the shadows and spilled into her room and across her grateful face and her eager foot stepped out into the hallway she knew she could never be free. Freedom for her was simply an illusion. She rejoiced in it though. She was grateful even if it was cruel and unforgiving.

As her eyes adjusted to the light she slowly and softly shut the door to her prison. The corridors she walked along were the same as the ones she saw slung over Kakazu's shoulder. Long, malicious, and frightening. The shadows the light simply could not cast away seemed to glide across the walls and follow her through the endless maze. Her heart pounded in her chest a mile a minute and her eyes darted from side to side. Her feet seemed to have a will of its own as it progressed down the corridor and Bhairavi wished the door had been locked so she wouldn't have been tempted.

"Who are you?" a cold voice asked making her freeze and stiffen in absolute terror. She had no idea what to say but somehow she managed to squeak out, "Bhairavi." She wasn't sure he could hear her over the rapid beat of her heart.

"Turn and face me beautiful I already know what you look like un." Slowly Bhairavi turned to face her adresser. Out of everyone she had seen in the Akatsuki besides Hidan he looked...normal. Well despite how femine he looked. If Bhairavi hadn't heard his voice she never would have known he was a guy. It was his long blonde hair she guessed. Only one eye was visible due to his blonde bangs covering half his face and the one eye she could see shone a bright clear blue. Not like Angelick's whose was light and innocent, his were dark and malicious much like everything in the Akatsuki base. He wore the characteristic Akatsuki red and black cloak and his headband also wore a long jagged scratch through the symbol.

"Why are you here un?" He asked taking a step forward and smirking when she took a step back. She didn't question why he added 'un' to every sentence he spoke but rather asked him something he did _not_ expect to hear. "Can I touch your hair." He was taken aback. No one had ever asked him that before. Bhairavi was insistent though, something about his long, silky, golden locks fascinated her. Maybe it was the startling resemblance to Angelicks.

Before he could protest Bhairavi was standing directly infront of him and taking up a lock of his long hair in her small hands running her fingers easily through it. "It's so soft." She whispered in awe. Suddenly he pulled back now glowering at her.

"You're her aren't you? The brat the zombie brothers drug in. I won't let you get to me though un! Let's go, you belong back in your cage un." He said taking her arm in prepreration to drag her back down the hallway. She immediately flinched at the contact.

Bhairavi had never complained before. She was always severly punished if so much as a single whimper escaped her lips but after her wonderfully sweet few moments of almost freedom, Bhairavi was willing to risk a single complaint added with a plea. Anyting to taste that sweet almost freedom just a little longer.

"I dont want to go back in there! please! just a little longer!" He didn't pause. If anything his hand around her wrist tightened. As she stumbled along with him she recalled vaguely feeling a wavering in the man's aura at her pleas...almost a caving. Was that...was that emotion she had felt? Suddenly plain and clear she could see it. A cage and a little white bird. A boy's small hand plucked open the cage door and the bird was free soaring into the air elated to be free at last. She saw a glimpse of a smile but then it was gone. Gone when the angry shouts erupted and a tall man advanced in an outrage. Gone was the boy who loved to free things. Gone when he watched his freed bird go up in flames. Then just like it had come the vision was gone leaving a bitter taste in Bhairavi's mouth.

"It was you." She whispered giving up on her struggle.

"what un?" he asked loosening his grip when he saw that she didn't intend to run.

"It was you who freed the white bird in the cage. You loved to watch them fly didn't you? You especially loved to hear them sing. But then something horrible happened didn't it? I'm so sorry." Bhairavi whispered as a fresh batch of tears pooled into her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

"How did-" He started but then his astonishment quickly turned to anger, "Get out of my head you little freak!" He shouted turning to face her and grabbing her shoulders. The tears continued to fall.

"Deidara, release her." A cold voice commanded. Bhairavi watched as the anger slowly vanished from his eyes and his tight grip on her shoulders loosened.

"Deidara." the voice warned and at the tone Deidara immediately stepped back finally releasing his hold on Bhairavi.

The one who had addressed Deidara turned out to be the last person Bhairavi wanted to see. His orange eyes watched her like a predator does its prey and the candle light cast shadows on his pale feautures. More shadows then it should have as if the shadows of the corridor were drawn to him. Clinging to his vicious malevolent hate like a barnacle does a whale. Out of all the murderers in the akatsuki base, he was the one who frightened her the most. She didn't know a single thing about him, the darkness surrounding him was untouchable. There was no good in this man and that was why Bhairavi feared him so.

"And why are you out of your cage my little canary? I thought I made it clear that you were mine."

If Bhairavi didn't fear him so she would have outright denied belonging to anyone and defiantly refused to go back to her room but she was helpless.

"I just...I just wanted to go outside." She said hating how her voice sounded weak and fragile. Not even the tiniest fragment of emotion entered Pein's eyes as he watched the girl flinch away from his gaze.

"You're our prisoner, prisoners don't get privileges. Come." He said taking her arm and pulling her down the corridor. His hand was cold against her skin and it made goosebumps rise up along her arm in fear. The shadows she saw mingling around him tried edge their way towards her but always retreated back before they could touch her as if her skin itself repelled them. She wondered why it was only her who seemed to notice them.

She glanced back over her shoulder to see Deidara still standing there with a calm calculated look on his face. When his eyes met hers she flinched at the hatred simmering behind them. At that moment Bhairavi knew that Deidara hated her too. Just as Kisame and Hidan did. She wondered if they hated everyone or if she was simply unlikeable.

When they reached Bhairavi's room Bhairavi reluctantly entered afraid to stay any longer in the hall with the terrible man named Pein. Unfortunately he followed her inside. He was quiet and with her back to the closed door she didn't know he was in her room with her until he spoke.

"Im willing to let this slide if you sing me a song little canary." He said lighting a candle.

"I wont sing for you." The response was immeidate. It was right at the edge of her tongue just waiting to roll off it. She seemed to forget with whom she was speaking to however. Pein was a very calculative precise person. After years of experience in torturing people and forcing them to do things that suited his interests he learned how to read them. How to make them cave to his will.

"You like light don't you? well unfortunately the only means of light here this far underground are candle sticks. I think if we were to say...eliminate your supply of them you might reconsider." He said testing her. Seeing how far she would go to keep him from what he wanted. He almost dared her. He had grown so very bored these last few years. It's been a long time since someone interested him so.

"Go ahead." She said stubbornly crossing her arms across her chest and turning her back to him. Under normal circumstances Pein would have become angered by her plain show of defiance and may have even tortured and killed her by now, but for some reason his lip twitched in slight amusement. Breaking her spirit would be fun. Much more fun than simply killing her.

"I could...break a few apendages or limbs...would that change your mind?" He asked taking a step closer to her. She didn't even waver, "No." He suddenly understood that she would never cave if the threats were directed at her. She didn't care what happened to her, she didn't care if it was _her_ privileges being taken away.

"Ah...then how about we have us a little human sacrifice everytime you refuse to sing. How does that sound?" at this she whirled around, her eyes wide in the candle light and Pein knew he had found his playing card. Tears filled her eyes as she realized that he had won.

"Fine. You win." She spat out venomously. She turned her back to him again and then asked softly, "What would you like to hear?" Pein smirked at his victory.

"You decide." taking her time Bhairavi thought of all the bitter, vengeful, hurtful songs she knew before finally selecting the perfect one. Satisfied with her choice she quickly launched into it. It was sung in her native tongue and she lashed out the verses in perfect bitter tones. Her voice was clear and true like it always is, yet somehow fiercer and more frightening.

When she finished she turned to face Pein who wore his usual emotionless mask.

"Satisfied?" She spat.

"For now. You can expect a visit from me tomorrow." He said turning to leave.

"It was about you, you know." Bhairavi said just before he left. She was just so angry at him and the situation she was in that she couldn't stop from saying it.

"What?" he asked a tad taken aback.

"It was about a man so evil his heart rotted out of his chest and withered away in his crop field. The evil that ate away at his heart entered the soil and ate away at his crops and everyone elses corroding the land and killing everything it touched. Im sure that it was about you." Bhairavi said with certainty. At this Pein tilted back his head and actually laughed. It was humorless because it held no emotion. Just a rough stretched out chortle coming from a dark cloudy shell. "You honor me then my little canary." He said mock bowing. That evil glint never left his eyes and the shadows around him never loosened their grip. He was still and always would be the dark cruel manipulator.

"Until next time songbird." He whispered shutting the door and much to Bhairavi's dissapointment taking the light with him.

Bhairavi didn't try the door again. She knew that it would be locked.


	7. Chapter 7 - Reaching for the Light

Sasori intended to never return to where Bhairavi was locked away. He intended to stay far away and shove her out of his thoughts but unlike other times he had tried this, he was unsuccessful, which is why he found himself standing directly infront of her closed door debating on whether or not he should open it. His mind said 'no' but something else in him said 'yes'. It grew louder and louder with each breath he took and seemed to shout out with the frequency of his heartbeat. Wanting nothing more but to silence that voice, Sasori grasped the door handle in his steady hand and twisted the knob. He heard a faint click as it unlocked and then a slow steady creak as the door opened.

The light from the corridor reached out and touched the far walls of the room revealing Bhairavi who was curled up in a small ball on her bed. Sasori didn't mean to stare but he just couldn't tear his eyes away. She seemed so peaceful there in that vulnerable position which made him realize just how troubled and sad those large eyes of hers truely were.

Glancing over his shoulder to ensure that no one was watching, Sasori silently closed the door behind him plunging them both into absolute darkness. He didn't mind it like most did however. He had been raised in darkness and had excellent vision in it which helped him navigate the small room quietly. He found the drawer containing the candle sticks and quickly lit one. The flame illuminated the room immediately and Sasori took a seat beside the bed turning his steady gaze on Bhairavi. He didn't know why but he suddenly wondered what she was dreaming about. Were they dreams of her past? Or did she just dream? Maybe she didn't dream at all.

Bhairavi frowned in her sleep and turned over restlessly so that she now fully faced Sasori. Her scent lightly wafted towards him in the stale air and he caught a whiff of what could only be described as honey and sunshine. She smelled so pure and Sasori nearly reached out a hand and touched her. He caught himself however and shook his head clearing his thoughts.

"Angelick." Bhairavi whispered in her sleep dazedly. At the name Sasori frowned. Who was Angelick? Bhairavi didn't seem afraid, if anything she seemed...troubled now. More restless and figety. An extremely strange urge overcame Sasori. One he'd never felt before. He felt the urge to comfort her. Before he could scold himself for having such a ridiculous thought, Bhairavi cried out and...actually screamed. It was a sound that made Sasori's blood run cold and his heart clench with an unknown feeling. He even very nearly...reacted. A scream had never done that before. Never.

"Angelick." She whimpered again, "Dont..dont die." Something glistened off her cheeks and with a start Sasori realized that she was crying. His thumb tingled with the strange urge to wipe them away but he clenched it in his fist and forced away the waves of the strange hurt coursing through him. Why was he upset? Nothing even happened to him. Clenching his jaw, Sasori decided a second time in his life that Bhairavi wasn't good for him. It wouldn't do to be around her, he needed to leave but before he could go Bhairavi's eyes snapped open and the force of her golden frightened eyes was enough to stop him from going any further. It was as if some unknown force was holding him there and he gazed back into her eyes with an intensity he didn't know he had.

"Why are you here?" She asked sitting up. Sasori was the last person she expected to see when she woke up.

"Who's Angelick?" Sasori asked completely ignoring her earlier question. He didn't want to tell her that he couldn't stay away. He took note of her immediate change of posture, the way her shoulders drooped and how a little bit of that brilliant light left her eyes and suddenly he wished he hadn't asked.

Bhairavi didn't know why she answered him. She just seemed to let slip whatever it was what Sasori wanted to hear.

"She was..." Bhairavi swallowed hard to keep her voice from breaking and then started again, "She was like a daughter to me. We shared the same pain and hopelessness but because we had eachother we knew everything would be alright. No matter how bad things got she always remained so sweet and kind. She was just a child. I loved her. I loved her so much." Now Bhairavi couldn't stop the tears as she recalled the struggles her and Angelick shared.

Before Sasori could question her further Bhairavi was choking out words once more needing to just...let it out.

"The next time they came and tried to force me to sing I did what I always did. I refused. They started hurting me trying to force it out of me but it didn't matter to me. I _hated_ them. Hated what they had become. It mattered to Angelick though. She couldn't stop screaming. They knew I hated her pain. They knew it. So they used it. They-"

Bhairavi's voice broke off and she took deep breathes trying to force away her sorrow only for it to return with a vengence. When she finally controlled her breathing she continued determined not to stop.

"They took her out and they beat her too. I screamed at them to stop but then the leader he...he got this awful idea. He took his boot, set it on Angelick's ribcage and he pressed. I can still hear her screaming. I gave in. I sang for them but it was too late for Angelick. She died the next day and it was all my fault. If I hadn't been so stubborn and just _sang_ for them she would still be here." Bhairavi finished putting her head in her hands and sobbing for all it was worth.

Sasori didn't know what to think or do. He was torn. Go against who and what he was and all that he had learned to reach out and comfort her? Or merely wait for her to gain control of herself again? Before he could decide however Bhairavi peered at him between her fingers and said, "You know she was only five years old? She still believed that a pot of gold was at the end of a rainbow and that good always won over bad in the end. She thought that the sacred fireflies would come and save us and lead us to a better place. She never lost her faith." A new batch of sobs racked Bhairavi's small body and once again Sasori was torn. Bhairavi decided for him however. Her head rested on his shoulder and his arm automatically wound around her shoulders as if it had done just that many times before.

Bhairavi was amazed by the warmth of the ray of comfort Sasori offered and she wanted to be closer to it. She wound her arms around his stomach and rested her head in the crook of his neck not caring if she barely knew him or not. Uncertainly, Sasori wrapped his arms around her not believing what he was doing.

When the sobs subsided to silent tears Bhairavi finally took notice of where she was at. She ignored how nice it was to be held by Sasori and pulled away appalled by herself.

"I-I'm sorry." She said wiping away her stray tears with the back of her hand.

"It's alright." Sasori said softly still wondering why it felt so good to hold Bhairavi in his arms. What was wrong with him? This wasn't his nature at all.

When she had finally pulled herself together she repeated her earlier question. "Why are you here?" This time however Sasori wasn't afraid to answer, "I don't know." If Sasori hadn't been watching her so closely he would have missed the small smile that graced her lips. He'd never seen her smile. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen but it was gone just as quickly as it came.

"You know, you're the first person to visit me and not demand that I sing for them." She whispered and that beautiful light that had fled her eyes re-entered them in an instant making them sparkle. He liked her eyes the most with that spark of life in them he decided.

"I won't make you sing if you don't want to." He found himself saying. Bhairavi was silent for a moment processing his words and then re-running them through her head once more. It was the most beautiful sentence she'd ever heard. "Thank you." She said.

When Sasori left, Bhairavi couldn't stop thinking about the way his presence made her heart stutter or beat eratically. It was almost as if he made her heart dance. The slightest of smiles formed on her lips as she hugged her pillow close and kept smelling the refreshing smell of wood shavings and earth. A reminder that Sasori was real and that kindness did exist in the depths of the Akatsuki base.

_

It was Hidan who brought her food that day. He sneered at her as he set the trey down and said in such a hateful tone that it made Bhairavi flinch, "Well if it isn't my most favorite freak." Bhairavi bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying something rude back and instead said, "Thank you for the food."

"Don't mention it, though I don't know why we waste it on you." Hidan didn't stay longer than he had to. He hated being near her. She made him feel...strange. She made him _doubt_ himself and in the Akatsuki, that wasn't a good thing.

Bhairavi looked down at her food dismayed. Her extreme hunger had worn off making her dread the first spoonful of the stuff she was expected to eat. She didn't want to waste it though and she definately didn't want to complain so she ate it without complaint not pausing to taste it.

After she had finished, Bhairavi sat back and thought about anything other than the darkness and her lonliness. She thought about how nice the soft green grass felt between bare toes at the beginning of spring, and how pleasent fresh cut hay smelt just after it rained. She could almost imagine herself standing in the forest listening to the birds sing and enjoying the light breeze as it caressed her cheeks.

A few minutes later Bhairavi's day dreams were interrupted when something in her stomach didn't agree. She suddenly felt like she was burning up on the inside, like there was fire beneath her skin licking away at her flesh and a putrid taste arose in her mouth.

Bhairavi didn't think twice as soon as the sickness arose. She dashed towards the door to find it unlocked after Hidan's visit and just made it into the hallway before she spewed the contents of her stomach all over the corridor floor. She heaved and heaved even after she had nothing else to vomit up.

Finally she sat back exhausted, her stomach twisting and turning painfully, and her skin clammy and suddenly cold. What was wrong with her?

The edges of her vision began to blur slightly so Bhairavi attempted to stand, knowing that she needed to find help even if that help came from her captors. On shaky, wobbly legs Bhairavi inched slowly along using the walls for support. Her head swam and the dark spots infront of her eyes began to multiply. She had barely gone three feet before the darkness comsumed her and she tumbled to the floor, unconcious even before she hit the ground.

Falling. Falling. Beautiful white shapes of matter floated softly and silently by. They drifted in a breeze that Bhairavi could not feel. Tentively, she reached out a hand and allowed one to rest on the tip of her finger. Soft, like she imagined clouds would feel like. Her long black hair streamed infront of her as if the wind blew behind her. She felt weightless. She felt free. For the first time in years, she felt...happy. She didn't realize she was falling until she hit the ground. It didn't hurt, she only vaguely felt the impact of her body hitting something solid and then she was laying there, staring up at the drifting white forms that resembled beautiful, white, clean snow. They settled around her, cloaking her in their softness. One rested on the tip of her nose and another drifted by her cheek, grazing it in its descent. Her hands, spread out beside her and clutched at the objects blanketing her. Words came then, fast and furious, too fast for her to grasp. One word paused though. Not for long but long enough for Bhairavi to taste. Feathers it whispered.

"Feathers." Bhairavi whispered again testing the weight of the words. She wasn't sure if it was the steady hum of the machinery or the sound of her own voice that roused her but when her eyes slowly slid open, it was Kakazu she saw.

"What?" Kakazu asked staring at Bhairavi with a strange look. Bhairavi allowed her head to tilt to the side so she could take in her surroundings better. The steady hum she was hearing was from the machines that were hooked up to her monitering her heart and breathing rate. The room was plain, everything was white and tidy but thats not what held Bhairavi's interest. It was the light that bathed the room. Eagerly, she turned her head in the direction it was coming from coming face to face with a window. She nearly cried at the sight of the bright green grass and tall swaying trees.

That dull ache in her heart slowly began to ebb and the very real pain in her head and stomach eased almost immediantly. She heard the steady creak of a door as it swung open and didn't even need to look to know who entered. She felt it in the air, that heavy malicious feel that threatened and battled with the light that Bhairavi begged not to leave.

"Whats wrong with her?" She heard him ask. She had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from asking what was wrong with him.

"I don't know Pein-sama. I found her passed out in the corridor surrounded by puke. It appears her body was trying to reject something. Her heart rate was unbelievably fast even while unconcious. I tested her for poison but nothing showed. Everything looked normal. Still, her symptoms are most unusual. Its evident that she didn't make herself sick. So the question leads to what her body was rejecting."

Bhairavi tried not to focus on how not even her captors knew what was wrong with her and instead watched a bird flit from one tree to the next content with just watching the grass sway in the breeze she so desperately wished she could feel.

"She seems to be stable now, what did you give her?" Pein muttered and Bhairavi could feel him move closer. She could only pray he wouldn't touch her.

"I didn't, Before I could even diagnose her symptoms I sensed an improvement in her health. It was as if being in this very room made her better."

"What's so different about this room." She heard Pein mutter. She could almost feel his eyes roam over and stop at the window in which she stared so intently out of. He made the connection, she was sure of it.

Apparantly, Pein chose to ignore it and instead said, "She needs to regain her strength, bring her some food, she must be hungry."

At the mere mention of food Bhairavi felt queasy. Before she could refuse however she was being propped up by Pein himself, much to her discomfort, and a steaming tray of delicious looking food was set before her. She knew it looked apetizing, yet at the same time it didn't. She didn't feel hunger, or even the slightest bit of desire to eat it. She stared at the steaming plate of food and then glanced up at the expectant faces of Kakazu and Pein.

"Eat." It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.

Picking up her fork, Bhairavi tried to force herself to eat. The moment it sat on her tongue she spat it out in disgust. It tasted like ash. The most putrid, awful, tasting substance she had ever placed in her mouth infact. Almost immediantly, she was aware of Pein's piercing gaze.

"Quit being picky." He snapped. Shaking her head she braced herself and stuffed another mouthful in quickly, the moment it slid down her throat however she was convulsing and spitting it back out. Even after the food was emptied from her stomach she continued to retch until her throat felt raw. Breathing heavily, she pushed her still full plate away and refused to look at the faces of Kakazu and Pein.

"We know now what her body was rejecting." Kakazu finally offered after a few minutes of silence.

Igorning the comment, Pein asked the one thing that was on everyone's mind, "What are you?"

Glaring out the window again Bhairavi answered back bitterly, "A person." She was sick of people forgetting.

_

A few minutes later Bhairavi was left alone to her thoughts as she gazed out the window. Her heart was sieged with such longing that it hurt from the intensity of it. Why couldn't she just be happy? That was all she ever asked for, and instead, she had everything taken from her and was given a life full of nothing but pain and suffering. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks and trickled down to her ears. Slowly, she became aware of the hushed voices just outside her door.

"I think it would be in our best interest to experiment on her, see how else she's different." she heard Kakazu mutter. Her heart immediately clenched in fear at the thought of them conducting experiments on her. Not even the Akatsuki would do something so horrible would they? An image of Hidan's twisted smile as his dagger found its mark surfaced in Bhairavi's mind and she shuddered suddenly realizing that the the Akatsuki were capable of such a task.

"No, no one touches her but me." The underlying possessive tone in Pein's voice was impossible to miss. She could almost feel his hungry, desiring eyes burn through the door as if he could find her behind its form.

She nearly missed Kakazu's gruff reply due to the fear rippling through her veins. "Fine." He muttered in his ominous dark tone. She could hear the disatisfaction in his tone clearly and feared Kakazu a little more for it.

She watched as the door knob slowly twisted and crept open and tried to push down her rising fear when Pein stepped through the door and calmly walked towards her.

"Please don't make me go back there. It's too dark." Bhairavi whispered hating herself for sounding so weak. The light pouring from her window was slowly awakening her senses and her skin tingled wherever the golden rays lapped across it. She never wanted to leave its comfort.

Pein stopped approaching and eyed her with a curious look. Bhairavi could almost see the wheels turning in his head but from the slight tightening around his eyes, she knew nothing in his mind was clicking into place. She still puzzled him and she felt a small twinge of satisfaction because of it. Let him mull it over. She hoped he never figured out what it was he was puzzeling over.

"Do as you're told and sing when we ask and I'll allow you to remain where you are. Disobey me once and your punishment will be severe." He finally said. Bhairavi couldn't bring herself to nod in agreement. She merely turned her head to the side and looked away from him and into the light of her window savoring its warmth. She didn't hear him leave but she felt his presence disappear making the air in the room seem cleaner and purer somehow. She breathed a little easier.

A set of locks could be heard clicking into place and this time, when the door shut locking her in, it didn't lock away the light with it. She was left alone basking in its brilliance and that alone was enough to keep her spirit alive. For hours she focused on the world just beyond her reach and dreamed so hard about how soft the grass must feel between her toes that she could almost feel it grazing her flesh.

Thats how Hidan found her the next morning when he was ordered to bring her a glass of water. Watching and waiting for something. As if the light alone could build her a bridge so she could cross into something better. He could almost touch the hope that radiated off her skin.


	8. Chapter 8- A Mask of Nightmares

Bhairavi could watch the world outside her small prison all day. The vibrant greens of the grass and the startling blues of the skies were enough to make her forget her current predicament if only for a moment. A moment of happiness that was quickly doused however when the door knob across the room rattled out a warning as it slowly turned.

Forgetting the beauty and serenity that lied just beyond a layer of glass, Bhairavi scurried to the far corner of her bed curling up in a defensive ball. She watched apprehensively as the door slowly swung open revealing a slightly annoyed Deidara. Upon seeing the uneasy Bhairavi, something akin to interest flickered in his eyes.

"So they brought you here un?" He asked sweeping his eyes around the quiet room Bhairavi had made residence in. His unimpressed expression made her realize for the first time just how plain and empty her room really was. While its walls were unadorned lacking in decoration and imagination, Bhairavi saw beauty in its simplicity. The starkness of the box she was confined in made the sunlight that filtered through and the lushness of the forest beyond the glass wall appear that much more beautiful and lively.

She watched him take in her cage, his unmoved expression made obvious and she began to feel something for him akin to pity. Pity for this man who could not see past the emptiness and the four walls of plaster to the beauty and wonder of the world outside.

"Why are you here?" She asked making her voice strong and clear so that he would not hear it waver. Before he could answer the door to her prison flew open revealing a second intruder. He bounded in a flurry of red, black, and orange. At first, Bhairavi shrunk away in fear because she thought it was Pein, but when bouts of childish laughter erupted from this new trespasser she knew that this was someone else entirely. His face was hid behind an orange mask as if to make him seem childish and harmless but Bhairavi recognized him exactly for what he was. Evil. In the beginning, she thought it was Pein who corrupted the hearts of those around him feeding off the misery and the sorrow that they carried in their souls, but now she saw the truth. Pein was created by shadows. This creature with the orange mask _made _the shadows. They seeped from him like puss does a festering wound and suddenly, the light she basked in was gone replaced with this terrible putrid shadow that was a man.

"Tobi is here senpai!" He exclaimed gleefully and Bhairavi was glad the orange mask he wore concealed his expression. Bhairavi could not hide the small gasp that escaped her lips when his masked face turned to look at her. "Pretty girl! Tobi likes the pretty girl!" when he gleefully approached her, all of her built up bravado seemed to crumble around her.

"N-no! stay away from me!" She screamed and when she tried to scurry away, her foot tangled in her sheets causing her to sprawl out painfully on the floor. She quickly regained her footing and dashed to the farthest corner in the room where she flattened herself against the wall desperately wishing she could disappear.

The thing that was Tobi tilted his head the side in a seemingly questioning manner as if he wasn't quite sure how to deal with her. "Sempai! Why does pretty girl not like Tobi Tobi is a good boy!" He squealed.

"She's always like that un." Deidara stated but he too was beside himself. Even he could see that Bhairavi's reaction was a bit more overboard then it normally was. This fact alone surprised him. He thought with Tobi's childlike behavior and unthreatening appearance, Bhairavi would be scared of him the least. He was baffled to find that she seemed to fear him the most.

"Why are you here?" Bhairavi asked again, unable to prevent her voice from cracking this time at the end.

"Relax yeah? We're just here for a little lullaby is all un. We were just curious about the new celebrity the zombie brother's drug in and just thought we'd stop by for a visit."

"Well you've seen me so now get out. Take that _monster _with you." Bhairavi said and Deidara frowned when he saw how her eyes never flitted away from the seemingly unthreatening Tobi. They were the wide eyes of someone staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. The kind that seemed to scream and beg the shooter not to pull the trigger.

"We'll leave, but only after this little canary has chirped out a tune yeah?" Deidara persisted and Bhairavi opened her mouth to refuse, the insults she wanted to throw at him right at the tip of her tongue, but then she saw Tobi eagerly leaning forward and she bit back her response. Not wasting any time she lifted her voice up in song, a small verse that was hurried but still sung in piercing clear notes and for a few moments, the room was suspended in frozen wonder at the pure honey coated sunshine that flowed from her lips. When the verse ended Tobi clapped his hands wildly and Bhairavi cringed away a look of panic flitting across her face.

"I've sung for you. Now make _him _leave." She said and Deidara could hear how the fear and desperation coated her voice as if her very voice itself was weeping.

"Tobi is a good boy!" Tobi threw into the heavy silence that settled around them and Bhairavi didn't know just how long she could stand being in the same room with that monster.

"Tobi likes pretty girls singing! Tobi will come back because Tobi is a good boy!" He said and he bounded out of the room leaving Bhairavi and Deidara to their awkward silence.

When Deidara turned to leave Bhairavi whispered something to his retreating back making him pause.

"Please don't ever bring that monster here again."

Before Deidara left Bhairavi to her own devices he voiced the same question he had been mulling over ever since Tobi had made his appearance.

"Why Tobi little canary?"

The silence seemed to stretch as Bhairavi stared blankly at the wall and Deidara began to wonder if she was even planning on answering him. When she replied her voice was quiet and halting as if she was unsure she should even say anything at all. Though quiet and small they seemed to shout into the silence and fill the room up with their soundless warnings.

"Because he would have us all perish so that he might sit atop a throne made out of our corpses."

After Bhairavi's encounter with Tobi, her heart leapt into her mouth every time she thought she heard the door knob twist. Although she was visited by an array of akatsuki members in the days that followed, Tobi was not among them. Even though he did not visit again, the fear of the possibility never left her.

Many days would pass and many requests for her songs would be made. She refused every last one much to the frustration of the Akatsuki members who visited her. She could tell they wanted to strangle the tunes out of her but with Pein's strict orders not to touch her they were forced to settle with hurling angry insults her way instead. Watching their infuriated expressions and gazing out her small window was the closest thing Bhairavi felt to joy in the Akatsuki base. Pein still came to visit at least once a week and she had no choice but to belt out harsh angry versus to him so that she might keep that small ray of joy in her life that was her room. It seemed she was visited by all in the Akatsuki base, all but one. That one was unfortunately, the one person she didn't mind seeing. Sasori.

She was both pleased and disappointed that he did not come to see her and she was confused about this strange mix of emotions for Bhairavi had always felt emotions so purely. Why did he not come to see her? Why did she want to see him? He was one of her captors. He was a murderer. Yet strangely enough, she still wanted to see him.

It was a month into her captivity before it was him she saw step through the door instead of Pein. When he entered the small room, night had already fallen but Bhairavi was not tucked away in her bed. She was instead crouched on the floor next to the window allowing the silk of the moon to caress her still form in its soft waves. Bhairavi had always preferred the sun but she still loved the gentleness of the moon. When he saw her there with her head tilted back, the silver light of the moon illuminating her face, Sasori almost lost his breath.

He remembered momentarily forgetting where and who he was as well as who he was looking at. Instead of a small girl curled up next to the window, he saw a slight fairy resting her wings while she basked in the glow of the moon. He was brought back to reality when she raised her head to look at him. Her eyes simmered like two golden coals beneath heavy lashes as she peered out across the gloom at him.

Not wanting to startle her, he carefully and quietly closed the door behind him.

"W-who is it?" She asked and Sasori approached her slowly afraid that sudden movement would frighten her further. He hadn't even reached the small pool of moonlight before she had guessed who he was much to his surprise.

"Sasori? Is that you?" Her voice was small in the fragile silence of the room giving Sasori the strange urge to comfort her. He needn't have to answer her for he had reached the light of the window and Bhairavi could now see the features of his face. For a moment, he stood there uncertainly as she traced the lines of his face with her eyes. She took in how his long lashes brushed his pale cheeks when he blinked and how his auburn hair, a shade darker in the moonlight fell across his forehead in soft waves. Sasori didn't quite know what to say for he had wondered into her room purely by impulse. He had no reason to be here and he was just about to make an excuse when she spoke.

"I was waiting for you." She whispered and for a moment, something in his chest expanded. When he slid to the floor next to her she did not move away from him but instead tilted her head in his direction so that her bewitching eyes might follow his every action. She did not smile but he thought he saw something akin to joy dance in her eyes and Sasori was once more filled with confusion.

"Why?" He asked and he watched as her own face clouded with the same confusion that seemed to plague him.

"I – I'm not sure." She finally whispered. "I just….was." Somehow the silence that settled around them was not uncomfortable. It settled around them like a warm cloak as if attempting to bridge their two souls together. Bhairavi wasn't sure who made the first move, but sometime deep in the night, her cold hand had found someone else's to hold on to. Sasori in turn wasn't sure why he couldn't let it go.


End file.
